Herbert L. Barnet

Herbert L. Barnet (1909–1970) was an American business executive who served as the chairman of the board of the Pepsi-Cola Company and as a director of its parent company, Pepsico.

Biography Barnet was born in Brooklyn into a Jewish family. He graduated from Syracuse University and later received a law degree from New York University. He joined the Pepsi-Cola Company in January 1949 as a vice president. He was promoted to executive vice president in mid-1950 and became president of the company in 1955. In 1963, he was named chairman of the board, a position he held until his retirement. He placed actress Joan Crawford on the board of directors.

In addition to his role at Pepsi, Barnet served on the board of directors for the Columbia Pictures Corporation and the Marine Midland Bank–New York. He was also active in civic organizations, serving as the president of the Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the national chairman of the March of Dimes, and a trustee of Tougaloo College in Mississippi.